Bills head coach Chan Gailey admitted that they considered taking Terrelle Pryor in the NFL Supplemental draft Monday, but it sounded as if a mid-round pick was too high a price as the Bills saw it.

“We talked about it just like we talk about every guy,” said Gailey. “Buddy (Nix) and I talked about it and we felt it was in our best interest not to pull the trigger at too high a level.”

The presence of Brad Smith on Buffalo’s roster likely made it unnecessary to invest highly in a player like Pryor. Gailey admitted Smith’s presence on the roster was a factor in their decision on Pryor.

“Yeah sure it is,” Gailey said. “You already have that kind of player and that kind of athlete. We feel very good about where we are there.”

The Oakland Raiders took Pryor by giving up a third-round pick next year for the former Ohio St. quarterback.

Enjoy the holiday weekend Bills fans and remember if you’re in the military take advantage of submitting any service photos from overseas, especially if you’ve got Bills gear in the shot. We’re doing a military Bills fan photo gallery tribute on July 4th on Buffalobills.com. Just send your photos and info to me at AskChris@bills.nfl.net.

1 – Chris,
Could you clear up some confusion on the part of Bills fans? Many fans have said on the message boards that blue pants are going to be used but just weren’t ready for the recent unveiling.

Hopefully that’s true (although hard to believe they wouldn’t be ready) as I think the blue pants with white tops looks 100% better than white on white (“long underwear” look IMHO). Please clear this up once and for all for all of the fans, the majority of which seem to want the blue pants also. 9 years of white on white was enough!

Thanks,
Gary

CB: What I have been told by our people at One Bills Drive is the following. The away uniform in 2011 will feature white pants with a white jersey.

2 – Hi Chris,

Last I heard, NFL Network was still not able to find a team to follow via their reality television show Hard Knocks. They were turned down by the Jets for a second season, the Cowboys and another team I believe.

Are the Bills not interested in this opportunity? Have they contacted NFL Network on this topic?

I for one believe it would help the regionalization efforts with Toronto and getting a more engaged fan base from the north.

Thanks
Anthony

CB: You make a valid point, but I’m not in a position to speak for Buddy Nix or Chan Gailey and what they’d decide. Having been around them the past calendar year and seeing how they operate, I’d be surprised to see them sign off on something like that.

They’re both old school football men that just want to go to work and get the job done. Having to deal with cameras following them wherever they go during the busiest time of their calendar year doesn’t sound like it would jive with their way of doing things, but obviously that’s their call not mine.

3 – Hey Chris,

With all the hype going on with Terrelle Pryor I was wondering about other quarterbacks that could be taken in either free agency or the supplemental draft. I am pretty sure Pat Devlin is still on the market and I liked his numbers and physical traits. I also heard he has the intangibles to be a NFL quarterback. Is there any chance the Bills get him?

Thanks,
Tommy from Pittsford
CB: It’s certainly possible that the Bills will add another young arm to their quarterback contingent, but I think it’s far more likely that they add a veteran that they feel is capable of backing up Ryan Fitzpatrick. They already have a young developing arm in Levi Brown, so I would anticipate them adding someone that’s had some time in the league and been on the field a fair amount on Sundays. Buddy Nix said earlier this offseason they may very well add two more quarterbacks, but the fourth in all likelihood would be another passer for camp and if he impresses maybe he sticks around in some capacity. That’s where an additional young signal caller might come into play.

4 – Dear Chris,

Thanks for all you do to keep us fans up to date. That goes double for those of us that have moved away from upstate NY, but still call Buffalo home.

I have a question about the Practice Squad. Can another team just sign a guy off of our Practice Squad any time they feel like it? Do we have to agree to let that player go? Do we get compensated if they take one of our guys? I’d sure hate to see a guy like Jasper or Batten end up in New England and become a real monster that we have to play against twice a year.

Thanks,
Gregg from Fort Worth

CB: Unfortunately yes, another team with an opening on their 53-man roster can pluck a player off of any team’s practice squad at any time. There are some measures the original team can take to prevent losing the player if they covet him. One is to offer him an active player contract (practice squad players make less) and a spot on the active roster.

The Green Bay Packers tried to do that when the Bills went to take Brian Brohm off of Green Bay’s practice squad. They offered a deal equal to that of the Bills contract, but Brohm still chose to leave.

More than 95 percent of the time the practice squad player leaves because the new team that signs him has to keep him on their active roster for at least three weeks, so it’s a genuine opportunity to get on an NFL field on a Sunday, especially if the team they’re going to has had a rash of injuries at said player’s position.

5 – Chris,

Thanks for all your work. I was wondering where you think that Johnny White will be in the backfield. With Fred and CJ carrying most of the load, do you see him more as a returner or do you think he will get some carries. I think he can develop into a complement to CJ once Fred leaves.

Michael

CB: I see a lot of special teams work ahead for Johnny White, who can serve in a lot of roles on that unit. I could also envision him being a goal line back as the season wears on. The kid runs downhill… hard. He’s an inside runner primarily, so if they want to take some of the wear and tear off Fred I could see him spelling Jackson a bit here and there. However, if he gets more than 4-8 touches a game on offense as a rookie I’d be surprised, just because of who is in front of him on the depth chart.

Big uniform unveiling tonight. Should be a lot of fun. For now let’s answer your questions to pass the time before the big show. Remember you can submit your questions at AskChris@bills.nfl.net.

1 – Hey Chris,

I know I asked you about the Bills trading for Tebow, but with all the talk about Pryor, do you think that the Bills will do something with him? I think if we get either one of them they can sit behind Fitz and learn. Chan likes mobile QBs so this could be a good opportunity to get one and let him learn. What do you think?

Michael

CB: First as I’ve stated in the past I don’t think Tebow is the one on the trading block in Denver. All indications are it will be Kyle Orton if anyone is moved. With respect to Pryor the only reason he’s getting so much attention is because of the Ohio State NCAA investigation and his subsequent separation from the program. Most experts believe his game is still lacking in several areas.

That’s not to say he’s not capable of playing in the NFL, but most have said an NFL club would spend a 5th to 6th round pick on him in the Supplemental draft at the most.

My belief is that teams looking at their quarterback position will compare Pryor to the class of quarterbacks due out next spring in the 2012 draft and determine whether he’s someone worth investing in now or if they’re better off waiting for what’s available in the draft pool next year.

2 – Chris,

Can you break down the strength and weakness of the Bills O-Line? Are they a better run blocking or pass protecting team? I think the unit was underrated in passing and Ryan didn’t appear to be sacked as much as previous QB’s. In some games the injured O-line was often stuffed at the line. Bell and Wood both had a somewhat healthy season too. Will Wang and Hairston push and compete for a starting job as well.

Thanks!
Tyler

CB: I think individually some of them are stronger in run blocking than pass blocking and vice versa, but the unit as a whole is still working on their identity in terms of what they do best. Part of the problem, as you pointed out, was the unit was beset with injuries and began the season with two tackles that could play despite not being 100 percent healthy. The run game got better as the season wore on, and most of the linemen would agree that while they did improve their pass protection they’d be the first to credit Fitz for getting the ball out quickly and making them look good at times.

Hairston and Wang will compete with the incumbent starters, but I think in the end Erik Pears and Demetrius Bell will start at tackle in 2011.

3 – Dear Chris,

As always good job on keeping all of us fans up to date on all the
news from 1 Bills Drive. Thank you very much and keep up the good work!

Now to my deep concerns .
Throughout all of the labor talks there have been a few owners and managers whose names have always come up in the negotiations process. The likes of Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, Scott Pioli, and Bruce Allen come to mind first. Now I know at times a representative from every club had to be present for meetings, but it just seems that the bigger market reps are the ones we always hear about. Is this because they are the only ones really doing the negotiating for the owners or is there more to it that I am not understanding?

My concern is that the smaller market teams are not being represented fully and that their concerns in the labor talks are not being heard. The more money that players are allotted will affect the overall budget for every team and high price free agents making more money would not be afforded by smaller market teams such as our beloved bills case in point would be that it would be even harder after negotiations for a smaller market team to remain competitive due to
the increase in player wages.

Can you please shed some light on these subjects? It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you again.

Jason
Norwich, CT

CB: The reason owners like Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft are often in the press is because they’re high profile owners with nationally recognized franchises. Both men are also part of the 10-person Labor Committee for the owners, chiefly responsible for helping to bridge an accord with the players. In fact here is the entire list of Labor Committee members for the owners.

As you can see the labor committee representation is split down the middle between the large and small market clubs. Cincinnati, Green Bay, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and San Diego are considered the small market reps. Obviously small market ownership feels comfortable with this balanced representation.

Your concerns are not uncommon. I remember when I hosted the conference call with Bills season ticketholders and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the biggest concern was revenue sharing and it’s a valid concern. Here was the commissioner’s reponse to those concerns.

I can tell you with the NFL one of the things I’m proudest of is we continue to find ways to share new revenue. Our system right now close to 80 percent of our revenue is shared amongst the clubs. That’s one of the core reasons that the system works and why the Buffalo Bills have the financial ability to compete. You always have to evaluate that system and balance that system to make sure as the economics of the league changes, as revenue growth changes that you continue to have a system that will allow that revenue to grow, but also share it in a way that will allow the fundamentals of the league continue to be successful. I know our ownership has always stepped up to that and we will continue to do that to make sure that everyone has the financial ability and we can make sure that the Buffalo Bills and every other small market come into the season with the ability to be competitive.

The commissioner also went on to point out that the biggest revenue source for NFL clubs is the television revenue and that is shared equally amongst the clubs. I realize that the most recent talk about mandating teams to spend very close to the cap every year (no salary floor, no salary ceiling) in some reports could be discouraging, but I think a lot of that still has to be sifted out. That’s where having proper representation on behalf of the small market clubs on the owners’ labor committee is essential.

4 – Hey Chris,

Just want to thank you for always being on top of things with the Bills and for keeping us Bills fans informed. I have 2 questions I hope you can answer. I like what the Bills did in the draft this year. I still see some gaping holes though and wonder what your thoughts are on addressing them: I see us needing a QB (either a backup for this year or franchise QB going forward), a cornerstone OT (I don’t see one on our roster just a few passable OT’s for now), a TE, and an OLB ( I am hopeful Merriman comes back healthy and I like Moats potential…. but that is still just potential). Do you feel any of these will be filled this year in FA and do you see other needs that I didn’t mention that we need to have addressed ASAP?

Dennis

CB: I think even the Bills themselves admitted that they wanted to either land a future franchise QB or a veteran to be a backup to Fitz. Based on how things played out in the draft it’s safe to assume they’ll be trolling for a backup whenever there is a free agency period.

At tackle I think there’s a bit more there than meets the eye. Defense was the pressing need in the draft and as a result it took precedent over some of the positions that you listed.

It’s hard to predict how aggressive the Bills will be in free agency because the new rules in a new CBA could alter strategies with respect to things like “dead money” on a cap and absolute dollars where it’s on your books right now and not pushed into the future. So we have to see what the rules will be before we can judge how a team like the Bills will approach free agency.

5 – Chris,

Can you explain the eligibility rules for the practice squad? Is there a number of games a player can dress and be on the active roster then to be switched to the squad? How many players are allowed on the squad? Could players like Howard, Roosevelt, Donald Jones, Ed Wang land on the squad since they maybe behind the pecking order at OG and WR?

CB: Players can typically spend two seasons on a practice squad. There are stipulations that allow for a third year, but I’m not going to get into those here. Once a player has dressed for nine NFL games he is no longer eligible for the practice squad. So for example, when Jim Leonhard in his first season with the Bills appeared in nine games, he was no longer eligible for the practice squad.

Practice squad sizes can hold a maximum of eight players.

Howard appeared in 10 games as a rookie last year and Jones in 15. Both would no longer be eligible for the practice squad to my knowledge. Wang and Roosevelt who each appeared in six games are still practice squad eligible.

Alright Bills fans, time for another round of your offseason questions from AskChris@bills.nfl.net. Feel free to submit any questions you might have via e-mail. Let’s get right to it.

1 – Chris, One thing I’m often wondering about in the offseason is what the players are up to: their perceptions of weak areas in their games they could try to strengthen, exercise and practice routines, their daily life -families, hobbies, community service, books, movies, TV, travel. Does Levi Brown work on specific areas of need in his game or just on getting stronger physically? Does he throw much? Does he do things to work on decision-making, play calling, recognition of defenses, etc,etc. Do the players work together (receivers and quarterbacks, offensive linemen and defensive linemen)? Do agents provide mentors for young players? Would the team normally give them grades on their play and suggest or provide off season coaching (not this year of course). We keep hearing how professional athletes have year round commitments to their sports in terms of conditioning etc, but just how specifically do they try to improve their skills in the off season?

Jim D.

CB: Most rookies when they enter their first NFL offseason are usually told they need to get stronger. Their first trip through the rigors of a 16-game season is a learning experience. Often times they’re asked by their coaches to improve their strength and stamina to better handle the more demanding pro schedule.

Players usually have exit interviews with their position coaches and head coach at the end of the season. It’s then when they’re given a road map on where they need to improve their game. A lot of times a coach will ask the player first what they’d like to improve. Obviously improving some things is limited to a team practice setting, like reading defenses quicker (for receivers). But there are things they can improve on their own, like sharper route running.

Working together with teammates usually doesn’t happen in a normal offseason, that is until they come in for OTAs and minicamps. But maintaining their conditioning is a year round process.

2 – Hi Chris,

Which of the Bills draftees do you actually see starting on the field this year (If the lockout ends)? I’m guessing Dareus will be a full time guy, and that Williams and Sheppard have a good chance of starting. Also, who do you think makes the 53-man team? Which veterans will be really pushed for their jobs this year?

Thanks,
Bill

CB: In talking to Bills GM Buddy Nix, I know he’s confident that most of the top half of his draft class will push for starting jobs from Dareus to Searcy. Dareus should start from day one just because of his immense talent. Williams steps in at a position where there are currently only three cornerbacks under contract in McGee, McKelvin and Corner, so there’s an opportunity there.

Sheppard might have the stiffest competition as he presumably will be going up against veteran starters. Searcy’s versatility will earn him a long look at strong safety.

3 – Hey Chris,

Seeing that Pryor will most likely enter the supplemental draft, do you think that the Bills will take him? I don’t know how it works, but they would have the third pick would they not? And the two picks before them don’t need a quarterback. Gailey could work with Pryor’s skill set and Fitz and all the Bills could help guide him.

Thanks,
Tommy of Pittsford

CB: Having not spoken to Chan Gailey or Buddy Nix it’s hard to know what they might think of him. My own issue with Pryor is he hasn’t developed the quarterback skills that you need to succeed in the NFL as I see it. That’s not to say that he can’t develop them. Most expert evaluators I’ve spoken to are of the opinion that he can’t make all the throws, needs more experience effectively sensing pressure (takes off too soon) and needs more experience in a pro-style offense. Most draft gurus believe an NFL club would not surrender more than a 5th to 7th round pick on Pryor.

If a team chooses to use a pick on Pryor the way it works is an NFL club if they choose to use a 5th on Pryor would surrender a 5th in the 2012 NFL draft and use it instead in the Supplemental draft.

4 – Chris,

How do you think the bulk of the carries will be split between CJ and Fred. It’s very obvious that Chan is smitten with CJ’s skills but Fred can do everything well. Most fans would like to see CJ explode this season and be a 10+ touchdown guy. Chan does like to throw the ball more than run it. What do you think Chan will do?

Thanks!
Sophie

CB: This is a tough one having not seen any team practices in light of this unusual offseason. I do know they want to get C.J. more involved in the offense, however I still believe Fred will do a lot of the heavy lifting with respect to inside run plays. I think in the end we’ll see Spiller get a lot more touches per game, but I anticipate a lot of his work to be out in space outside the numbers, similar to the role Reggie Bush has played in New Orleans’ offense.

5 – Chris,

I’m a little concerned about some of the rule changes I’ve read about. According to an article I read online recently:

The following hits on players in a “defenseless posture” are now illegal:
• A player in the act or just after throwing a pass.
• A quarterback any time after a change of possession (i.e. turnover)

If a player in the act of throwing a pass is considered a defenseless player, does that mean that a QB can drop back with his arm cocked back (statue of liberty style) and then get as much time as he wants to pass while no defenders are allowed to hit him? Are defenders allowed to try to knock the ball out of the QB’s hand and cause a fumble as he’s winding up? Are QB’s basically going to be able to pump fake any time a defender’s about to hit them to force a penalty if the defender touches him?

Also, if a QB throws a pick, is he still allowed to try to tackle the player that’s returning the INT? That sounds a little unfair if the QB is trying to tackle the ball carrier and nobody on the returning team is allowed to block him.

Any clarification you can provide would be appreciated as I haven’t been able to find any in-debth description of how these rules are phrased or would be interpreted by officials. Thanks for your help.

-Brendan (Las Vegas)

CB: On the plus side defensive players will no longer be penalized for grazing of quarterbacks’ helmets. That should avoid some of the ticky tack penalties that we saw last year.

Defenders can no longer leave their feet and launch themselves up into an opponent delivering a blow to the helmet with any part of his own helmet. (15 yard penalty)

And yes the definition of the defenseless player was expanded to include those players:
-throwing a pass
-attempting or completing a catch without having time to ward off or avoid contact
-a runner whose forward progress has been stopped by a tackler
-kickoff or punt returners while ball is in the air
-kickers or punters during a return
-a QB during a change of possession
-a player that receivers a blind side hit from a blocker moving toward his own end zone.

These defenseless player definitions are not black and white, they will involve judgment calls on the part of the officials, and as we saw with the horse collar tackling, it took a while for the refs to have a good handle on that.

Regarding your question about the statue of liberty tactic, if it’s clearly not part of a “normal football play” it’s probably not going to be in the official’s judgment to be a defenseless player. And again the defenseless player deals mainly with hits to the head and neck area with the helmet or forearm primarily.

With respect to a QB defending an INT, or a punter or kicker defending a return, what the aim of those players being included in the defenseless player definition is to prevent opponents from taking a free shot on the opposing QB on a change of possession.

A good amount of the time the quarterback has no chance of making a play on the ball after a pick, but opposing linemen usually take a shot at them anyway by “blocking them to the ground.” If a quarterback chooses to try to make a play on the ball then he’s fair game as I read it.

As we chronicled the other day, Greg Cosell, executive producer of Edge NFL Matchup on ESPN and Senior Producer of NFL Films has been watching film of now former Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor to assess his chances to play in the NFL. He’s now watched four of his games. Here’s his assessment in a series of tweets.

gregcosellMajor difference between Pryor + Newton is Newton can throw. Big arm, drives the ball. Newton can make NFL throws, Pryor at this point can’t

gregcosell More Pryor: For those who equate athleticism with QB he’s a draftable player. I evaluated him w/late round/free agent grade. No NFL skills.

With the likelihood of Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor requesting an application to be eligible for the NFL’s Supplemental draft growing by the day, the executive producer of NFL Matchup and Senior Producer for NFL Films for more than 30 years, Greg Cosell, broke down two of Pryor’s games and came up with the following conclusions with respect to how his game translates to the NFL.

gregcosellMore Pryor: Poor footwork as he sets + plants to deliver. Little sense at this point of how drop of QB syncs up with receivers routes.

gregcosell More Pryor: Not naturally accurate. Scattershot. Over-reactive to perceived pressure. No precision to game. A random, unstructured player.

gregcosellMore Pryor: Overall long way to go before any chance of being NFL QB. In 2 games I evaluated showed no attributes that transition to NFL.

gregcosellMore Pryor: Will watch more tomorrow, including bowl game. Really struggled to find traits that project to NFL QB. Average arm + inaccurate

gregcosell I watched 2 games of Pryor, 7-8 of the other QB in draft. Based on those 2 games, Pryor a late round pick at best. Want to see more.

So although Cosell is anything but high on Pryor’s transition to the NFL game as a quarterback, he does intend to watch more tape to see if his initial opinions change. That being said, this expert’s opinion is far from rosy.

It’s been speculated that Pryor would not prompt an NFL club to give up anything more than a fifth-round draft choice in the 2012 NFL draft to take him in a Supplemental draft this summer should he wind up being eligible. The NFL has not declared a deadline for requesting an application to be eligible for the Supplemental draft.

With most speculating that embattled Ohio St. QB Terrelle Pryor will not be welcomed back for his senior season with the Buckeyes in light of the recent transgressions that have come to light forcing the resignation of Jim Tressel, ESPN tackled the question of whether it’s worth forgoing a late draft pick to grab Pryor in the supplemental draft should he choose to put his name in that pool.

That according to NFL Network reporter Albert Breer, who stated the following on his twitter account.

AlbertBreerMore from NFL’s Greg Aiello on Supplemental Draft: Deadline to apply would be sometime in early July, with draft itself in mid-to-late July.

To this point no one has applied for the supplemental draft so there is no need to set a date at this point, but Breer, who was in contact with the NFL public relations department was able to get the tentative timeline for it. With all of the news coming out of Ohio State over the holiday weekend some are speculating that Terrelle Pryor would be a prime candidate to apply for the supplemental draft.